Yo team, get ready because this news is going to hit you hard if you've been here as long as I have. Nintendo just announced that the legend himself Takashi Tezuka — yes, THAT Tezuka — will be retiring from his role as Executive Officer on June 26th. But hold up before you mourn too much: in a recent shareholder Q&A update, it was confirmed he's staying at the company as a Production Producer after his term ends, which is honestly such good news because we can still have him around. He's been with Nintendo for over 42 years and led some of the most iconic games in history — designer on original Super Mario Bros., director of Mario Bros 3, The Legend of Zelda, A Link to the Past, and Super Mario World, plus producer on countless other hits. His final credited project is Super Mario Bros. Wonder - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Meetup In Bellabel Park at the new park theme which feels like a perfect swan song for his career — what a run!
It's not just Tezuka though; Takuya Yoshimura, Katsuhiro Umeyama and Keiko Akashi are also retiring from their roles around the same time. Meanwhile there's leadership shakeup happening on the board too with Yutaka Takenaga of the Auditing Department selected as a candidate alongside Chika Saka who was chosen as an Outside Director — all subject to shareholder approval of course. Looking back at what he built here makes me realize how many classics I played because of his vision, and even if he's stepping down from executive duties we should seriously celebrate everything he delivered over four decades. I can't imagine Nintendo without one of its foundational pillars but it's the end of an era in the best way possible — thank you Tezuka-san for every single frame!
Source: https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2026/06/nintendo-legend-takashi-tezuka-is-retiring-from-his-role
It's not just Tezuka though; Takuya Yoshimura, Katsuhiro Umeyama and Keiko Akashi are also retiring from their roles around the same time. Meanwhile there's leadership shakeup happening on the board too with Yutaka Takenaga of the Auditing Department selected as a candidate alongside Chika Saka who was chosen as an Outside Director — all subject to shareholder approval of course. Looking back at what he built here makes me realize how many classics I played because of his vision, and even if he's stepping down from executive duties we should seriously celebrate everything he delivered over four decades. I can't imagine Nintendo without one of its foundational pillars but it's the end of an era in the best way possible — thank you Tezuka-san for every single frame!
Source: https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2026/06/nintendo-legend-takashi-tezuka-is-retiring-from-his-role